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| MEET THE AVIATION MANAGEMENT TRAINERS |
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| Boise, ID |
Kris
Damsgaard |
| Ruth
Brueggemann |
| Shad Sitz |
| Susie Bates |
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| Phoenix, AZ |
Ryan
Stailey |
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| Anchorage, AK |
Vince Welbaum |
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| Atlanta, GA |
Meg
Gallagher |
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| Kris Damsgaard |
National Aviation Training Officer
AM Headquarters, Boise
208/433-5076 - FAX 208/433-5085 |
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| Kris has been in her present position serving as national aviation training officer with AMD since January 1999. Kris began her Government career in 1985 with the U.S. Forest Service as the Airtanker Base Manager in Denver. She then moved into the assistant regional dispatcher position at the Rocky Mountain Interagency Coordination Center. She has served as the regional fire planning specialist for the USFS Intermountain Region in Ogden, UT, and as the assistant fire management officer and forest aviation officer for the Bridger Teton NF in Wyoming. She has a bachelor of science degree in natural resource management from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. When she is not working, Kris enjoys hiking, photography, and watercolor painting. |
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| Susie Bates |
Interagency Aviation Training Coordinator
AM Headquarters, Boise
208/433-5076 - FAX 208/433-5085 |
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| Susie has been in her present position since March 2004. She began her career in fire and aviation as a student aide on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in 1975. Since that time, she has held a number of fire and aviation positions in the Forest Service, the
BLM, and the National Park Service, including engine crewmember/ firefighter, BIFC helicopter manager, dispatcher for smokejumpers, forest dispatcher, district fire management officer, forest assistant fire management officer, forest aviation officer, regional helicopter operations specialist
(USFS), state aviation manager (CA BLM), and regional aviation officer
(PWR NPS). |
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| Shad
Sitz |
Aviation Training & Development
Specialist
AM Headquarters, Boise, ID
208/433-5076 - FAX 208/433-5085 |
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| Shad grew up is Eastern Oregon and earned an associate’s degree in wildland fire science from Treasure Valley Community College. He attended the University of Idaho where he studied fire ecology and recreation. He began his career in fire and aviation management in 1991with the Burns District BLM as an engine crewmember. Since that time, most of his experience has been in helicopter and fixed wing operations. He has held positions as a helicopter crewmember, SEAT manager, MAFFS coordinator, assistant helicopter program manager, helicopter program manager, helibase manager, air support group supervisor, and, most recently, as an interagency aviation manager in South Central Oregon. He joined aviation management in 2005 as the National Aviation-Training Specialist with duties including aviation training research and development. He has completed the aviation safety certificate from the University of Southern California and has served as a helicopter operation specialist on accident investigations. He enjoys flying with his father, piloting powered parachutes, travel, scuba diving, skiing, Oregon football games, and spending time with his family. He may be found, when not in Boise, with his wife and 3-year-old daughter at the ranch in Eastern Oregon flying, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and helping out with the day-to-day ranch operations. |
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| Ruth
Brueggemann |
Aviation Training Specialist
AM Cedar Rapids, IA
208/433-5076 - FAX 208/433-5085 |
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| Ruth began her Government career with
NBC-AMD in 1976 in the Division of Technical Services. In October 1990, she transferred to the training section where she continues to improve the training scope of DOI with her creative and organizational skills. She plans and coordinates national training sessions for AMD with state-of-the-art concepts and analysis. She particularly enjoys teaching and implementing platform techniques and learning principles. As an instructor for the U.S. Army Reserves for 8 years, she gained her foundation for analysis and evaluation of training and brings these skills and
knowledges into the civilian arena. |
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| Meg Gallagher |
Aviation Management Program Specialist
AM East Area Office
770/458-7474 - FAX 770/458-6677 |
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| Meg was raised in Connecticut but has spent over half her life out west. She earned a degree in outdoor recreation from Indiana University in 1985, and began her career in the Government with the 1986 fire season on a hotshot crew. For the next 4 years, she worked in fire dispatch, on an engine crew, and in helitack for the NPS, BLM, and USFS. She was the first graduate of the pilot JAC program in 1991, working for the Klamath NF. She returned to her true interest (helitack) as the assistant manager of the Las Vegas interagency crew and as the exclusive use manager on the Bridger-Teton NF (a heli-rappel crew supporting the shorthaul rescue program). For a new challenge, she moved to Atlanta in 1998 to work for
NBC-AMD as the Aviation Resource Specialist. She was extremely pleased to move to her current position as the Aviation Management Program Specialist in July 2003. She pursues fine dining, international travel, and motorcycle riding on her free days. |
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| Ryan Stailey |
Aviation Management Program Specialist
AM West Area Office
623/879-0589 - FAX 623/879-0595 |
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| Ryan began his career with the Forest Service in 1987 as a seasonal hotshot on the Gila NF. He continued seasonal work as a hotshot, engine crewmember, and helitack crewmember on the Gila NF, Kaibab NF, Cibola NF, and Prescott NF until 1995, when he accepted an appointment as the assistant helitack foreman for the exclusive use program on the Prescott NF. In 1999, he accepted the helitack foreman position for the exclusive use program on the Cibola NF. Ryan joined AMD in February 2003 as the aviation management program specialist in Phoenix. He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor of science degree in business management from New Mexico State University. When he’s not working, he enjoys rock climbing, skiing, watching sporting events, and working in his shop. |
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| Vince Welbaum |
Aviation Management Program Specialist
Alaska Regional Office
907/271-5258 - FAX 907/271-4788 |
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| Vince began his career in 1979 on the Sierra National Forest on a brush disposal (fuels) crew, and then he worked on the hotshots and in helitack, where he moved up the ranks to become the assistant. He later became the foreman of a fire suppression crew. He then worked as the helitack supervisor on the Payette National Forest for 12 years. During this time, he detailed into positions such as district assistant fire management officer, forest aviation officer, fuels specialist, fire management officer, and assistant regional helicopter operations specialist. In 2004, he began in his current position. His hobbies include: hunting, fishing, woodworking, and competitive shooting. |
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